New Delhi, 20 Sept

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone penned a heartfelt note on social media as she started shooting her next film, ‘King’, with superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The movie marks the sixth collaboration between Deepika and Shah Rukh, who have previously starred together in several films, beginning with her acting debut in 2007’s ‘Om Shanti Om’.

In the post, which comes days after her exit from the sequel to her 2024 Telugu blockbuster ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, Deepika thanked SRK for teaching her a valuable lesson that she has applied to every decision since.

"The very first lesson he taught me almost 18 years ago, while filming 'Om Shanti Om', was that the experience of making a movie, and the people you make it with, matter far more than its success.

“I couldn’t agree more and have applied that learning to every decision I’ve made since. And that’s probably why we’re back making our 6th movie together," Deepika, 39, wrote on Instagram alongside a photo where she is seemingly holding the superstar’s hand.

‘King’ reunites Deepika as well as Shah Rukh with filmmaker Siddharth Anand, who had directed ‘Pathaan’. The new movie will reportedly also feature SRK’s daughter Suhana Khan.

On Thursday, Vyjayanthi Movies, which produced ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, announced that Deepika will not return for the sequel, citing the project’s need for “commitment and much more”. The Nag Ashwin-directed film also stars Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan.

"This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD. After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways.

"Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future works," the studio had said.

In May this year, there were reports of Deepika's exit from filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga's "Spirit", also headlined by Prabhas. However, there was never any official confirmation of Padukone’s involvement in the film.

At the time, several reports claimed that Deepika had raised concerns about certain sequences in the film’s script and had requested an 8-hour workday. There were also differences related to her remuneration for the project.

The makers of ‘Spirit’ later cast actor Tripti Dimri, who starred in Vanga's 2023 blockbuster movie ‘Animal’, as the leading lady opposite Prabhas.

Deepika was most recently seen in Rohit Shetty's ‘Singham Again’. Besides King, she will also feature in an untitled project from Jawan director Atlee, alongside Telugu superstar Allu Arjun.